With the increased popularity of hunting, particularly for large game animals, there has been a corresponding increase in the use of high powered rifles. Typically the high powered rifle will include a telescopic sight. The sight needs to be in precise alignment with the gun barrel for accuracy in hitting the animal or other target. The increasing use of high powered rifles has also been followed with an increasing need for target practice. The problem arises that the high powered rifle has considerable recoil. Repeated firing of a rifle in a short length of time as required for target practice and gun sight alignment is not always desirable due to the large recoil.
Prior attempts have been made to provide a mount for a gun or high powered rifle to absorb recoil. U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,563 discloses an apparatus for aligning a gun sight which includes a gun receiving member which pivots relative to a base. A spring is fixed between the gun receiving member and the base for absorbing horizontal and vertical components of recoil when the gun is fired. The device provides gripping of the gun over very little of its surface and relies upon the gun being cradled within the gun receiving member for recoil absorption through a spring. Access to the butt end is prohibited with the gun received in the gun receiving member. Firing of the gun in a natural position with the butt against the shoulder is not possible. This renders the device not entirely satisfactory for practicing during target shooting or gun sight alignment. U.S. Pat. No. 2,729,975 discloses another recoil mount for a high powered rifle. Once again the device is relatively complicated and does not allow for shooting the gun in a natural position with the butt against the shoulder. U.S. Pat. No. 125,743 discloses a stand for testing fire arms in which a barrel of the gun is clamped between clamping members at a fore end. This allows the gun to be shot in a more natural position against the shoulder. However, the device is not entirely satisfactory for absorbing recoil, particularly from the modern day high powered rifle.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a recoil absorbing gun mount which is simple in construction and use and yet reliably grips a gun for recoiled absorption during testing and target practice.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective recoil absorbing gun mount which is small and portable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a small portable recoil absorbing gun mount which clamps a high powered rifle in a secure clamping position for absorbing recoil in a manner that the rifle may be fired in a natural position abutting the shoulder of the gunner.
Another object of the invention is to provide a recoil absorbing gun mount which will reliably clamp a wide variety of gun shapes and sizes for absorbing recoil when the gun is mounted and fired.